Having been in the business for 4 years, I thought I had a pretty good grasp on investing.

Not to say that it doesn't/cannot happen, and it should always be held as an aspiration within grasp (in my opinion), but not to the extent that the most common real estate success path be ignored (steady, longer-term wealth accumulation upon which to eventually quit your office job and to retire from...very comfortably and well before you hit 60!).

Marc,I'm just trying to get a grasp on whether I should invest more out of pocket money on larger units or less out out of pocket money on smaller units when the result ends up being the same cash flow.

I intend to start with residential properties first until I get a grasp on how the business is conducted.

I tend to have a solid grasp on most RE strategies, but for some reason, I get lost of assignments. 

Use a qualified cpa that has been preparing tax returns a while and has a grasp of your passive loss and other income related strategies on this matter.

From what I am grasping, it makes more sense than the method I mentioned above.

I know the neighborhoods in the area and have a really good grasp on the market around here.

I plan to wholesale vacant land to developers and having a better grasp on the cost/ sq ft would help me run my numbers...

I think the smallest investor can grasp the concept of properly allocating costs and expenses that will enable them to speak of such issues in the proper context with thier banker, accountant, attorney, financial investors, appraisers and others in business.Sorry this turned into a rant, but I disagree with the dumbing down of accepted terminology for new RE types just to simplify something where anyone with an IQ of 95 should be able to grasp the more correct and accepted term.Yes, I'm a finance/accounting type. :)